Special Fishing Vest with See-through and Removable Pockets

ABSTRACT

A special fishing vest device with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. The device relates to fishing and hunting clothing and more particularly to fishing garments with removable pockets and adapted for wear by sportspersons needing easier access to pockets, desiring to have pre-filled pockets for easy placement on the vest, having a support system and a plurality of pockets with a coupling means for removably securing the pockets to the support system of the vest. The preferred embodiment of the device is comprised of a vest with features and for wearing by a fisherman; a plurality of pockets that have features such as at least one see-though side; and a means to removably secure the pockets to the vest whereby the fisherman may select the desired pockets and attach them to the vest for easy access to fishing tackle and lures.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/582,435 filed Jan. 2, 2012 by Michael E. Hudson and entitled “A Special Fishing Vest with See-through and Removable Pockets”.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. The present application relates to fishing and hunting clothing and more particularly to fishing garments with removable pockets and adapted for wear by sportspersons needing easier access to pockets, desiring to have pre-filled pockets for easy placement on the vest, having a support system and a plurality of pockets with a coupling means for removably securing the pockets to the support system of the vest.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention and Prior Art

Problem Addressed:

Fishing is one of oldest pastimes for people. Over the centuries, equipment has been developed for virtually every type of fishing from fresh water, to salt water to fly fishing and so on. The equipment often varies from one type of fishing to the next. Fly fishing uses lures that are completely different from those used in salt water for example. Many fisher persons like to fish in more than one style. Thus, they have many different lures and equipment suited to these different types of fishing. To store these supplies, tackle boxes have been developed. Some of these tackle boxes are quite large and have numerous drawers, sections and even removable cases to hole the myriad of lures and supplies as well as tools and implements needed for fishing. Because people engage in different types of fishing, they often have more than one tackle box. Although this makes life considerable easier, it still requires the person to carry a heavy box full of equipment to the fishing site. For boat fishing, this is not a problem. However, for those who prefer in steam fishing or lake fishing, it is impossible to carry the tackle box beyond the shore. Thus, such people are limited in the supplies they can carry. For major tackle changes, they are forced to go to shore and make the changes at the tackle box. This reduces the time for fishing and can be cumbersome if the equipment is some distance from the desired fishing site. For those people who like to fish the backcountry, carrying their gear and a tackle box is almost impossible. For these people, only a select amount of equipment can be taken and if that gear is lost, the fishing is over.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The use of fishing garments is known in the prior art. More specifically, fishing garments heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of supporting a side variety of articles used by fishermen are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.

A Special Fishing Vest with See-through and Removable Pockets has been developed. The see through pockets have fastening means on back sides of the pockets, so that the pockets can be easily fastened and secured to the vest or easily removed and replenished or stored and can be replaced with other pockets.

The following prior art represents various types of vests known in the field of this invention. First, U.S. Pat. No. 2,678,447 by Bracken was issued in 1954 and was called a Removable Creel Carrier 74 or the like. It shows and describes a way to attach a game pocket to a coat or vest. It has no transparent sections nor is easily removable. It is large in comparison to the lure vest presented herein. Then, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,293 issued to Levine et al., in 1989, the inventors patented a fishing accessory container. This invention is limited in that the container takes the form of a bag that contains removable transparent plastic inserts.

Then came U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,614 issued to Mc Sheffery in 1991 where the inventor patented a reversible fishing garment, preferably in the form of a vest, with exterior flaps that open outward from the wearer's body. The exterior flaps include detachable, clear plastic pockets. The purpose of this invention is to give the wearer flexibility in terms of the number of pockets worn on the vest and also to provide clear visibility into the pocket contents. This invention is limited in that exterior flaps and detachable pockets are required to provide sufficient storage capacity. Next, U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,707 (issued to Parker et al., in 1993) describes a utility vest that can be used in connection with fly fishing or other outdoor activities. The main feature of this vest is a large pocket on the back of the garment that folds out into a backpack for carrying coats, sweaters and similar items that do not fit within the smaller pockets of the vest. This invention is limited in that it requires that a pair of straps run through the shoulder areas of the vest and terminate in belt loops for stabilizing the backpack.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,425 Sportsman's vest with a Closed Zipper Pocket 71 issued to Crispin in 1995. It shows pull-over vest with a group of different sized pockets but no transparency showing the contents. Then came U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,405 Sportsman's vest with a Closed Zipper Pocket 73 issued to Test in 1999. It shows a group of large pockets integrally connected to the vest, not removable as in the Hudson device.

A design patent DES 426,937 was issued to Auster et el in 2000 called a “See Through Vest for School Supplies” 72. It shows a “Net” material for holding school supplies. The pockets are not removable and no functional uses for hunting or fishing are obvious from the drawings. Further, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,156, issued to Peterson in 2003 discloses a fishing lure organizer. This invention is limited in that it takes the form of a container having compartments.

Finally, a US patent publication 2006/0143774 demonstrates an Opaque/ non-see-through Pockets 70. The document was by Walsh et all and was entitled Garment with molded pockets for containment of fly fishing accessories and method of manufacturing same. It shows a zipper or other closure mechanism (such as a snap, button, Velcro® or magnet closure) and/or other fabric elements are attached before the vest pocket is connected/sewn to the vest body. As far as known, there are no special fishing vests with see-through and removable or the like. It is believed that this product is unique in its design and technologies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. The preferred embodiment of the special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures is comprised of a vest with features and for wearing by a fisherman; a plurality of pockets that have features such as at least one see-though side; and a means to removably secure the pockets to the vest whereby the fisherman may select the desired pockets and attach them to the vest for easy access to fishing tackle and lures.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

There are several objects and advantages of the special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. There are currently no known fishing vests that are effective at providing the objects of this invention.

The advantages of the special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures are:

Item Advantage 1 Easy to see and pick lures and view contents of pockets - good way to organize tackle and lures 2 Easy and fast to remove and re-secure pockets to the vest - saves the fisherman time. May prepare packets before use at the fishing site 3 Compact in size for Storing by fisherman 4 Compact in size for packaging to ship 5 Versatile in uses (see below in Operation) 6 Uses no tools to remove and re-secure 7 Replaces need for Tackle box - no need to hand-carry a tackle box 8 Avoids spillage of contents from an un-fastened tackle box lid

Finally, other advantages and additional features of the present a special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the full description of the device. For one skilled in the art of fishing and sportsman vests, it is readily understood that the features shown in the examples with this product are readily adapted to other types of vests and devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS—FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of a special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. The drawings together with the summary description given above and a detailed description given below serve to explain the principles of the special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. It is understood, however, that the special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures is not limited to only the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGS. 1A through 1D are sketches of the general views of a special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are sketches of the prototype Fishing Vest with see-through and removable pockets with the components and features noted.

FIGS. 3A through 3C are close-up sketches of a prototype sample with the components and features shown from generally a front view.

FIGS. 4A through 4E are sketches of a special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets and features shown from generally a front section.

FIGS. 5A through 5E are sketches of prior art vest devices for use with fishing and other uses.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

The following list refers to the drawings:

TABLE B Reference numbers Ref # Description 30 Special Fishing Vest with see-though and removable pockets. 30A Vest only without pockets 31 Removable pocket 31A Backside or vest side of the pocket 32 Means for removably securing the pocket to vest 32A Means for attaching pocket to the vest essentially affixed to rear surface of removable pocket 36 Edge band 37 Clear front surface 38 Vest surface 39 Aperture for tackle 40 Prototype sample of the Special Fishing Vest 41 See through removable pocket 42 Means to attach (Velcro, snaps, zippers or the like) 45 Prototype waist belt with removable pockets 46 Removable pocket containment band 47 Clean front surface 48 Vest Surface 49 Aperture for Tackle 50 Means for fastening pockets to the vest 51 Velcro ™ or the like - a plethora of hook and loop devices 52 Snaps or the like - Fasteners, namely, buckles, snap-hooks, adjuster bars, slides, and modular buckles having alternative components adaptable to different sizes and configurations 53 Zippers or the like 60 Tackle - Worms, lures, spinners, and the like 70 Prior Art Vest 2006/0143774 Opaque/non-see-through Pockets 71 Prior Art Vest 5465425 Pullover Pockets 72 Prior Art Vest Des 426937 Net School Vest 73 Prior Art Vest 5913409 Sportsman's vest with a Closed Zipper Pocket 74 Prior Art Vest 2678447 Creel Carrier

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present development is a special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. The present application relates to fishing and hunting clothing and more particularly to fishing garments with removable pockets and adapted for wear by sportspersons needing easier access to pockets, desiring to have pre-filled pockets for easy placement on the vest, having a support system and a plurality of pockets with a coupling means for removably securing the pockets to the support system of the vest.

The advantages for the special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures are listed above in the introduction. Succinctly the benefits are that the device:

-   -   Easy to see and pick lures—easy and fast to remove and re-secure         pockets to the vest—saves the fisherman time. May prepare         packets before use at the fishing site;     -   Compact in size for Storing by fisherman;     -   Compact in size for packaging to ship;     -   Versatile in uses; and,     -   Uses no tools to remove and re-secure.     -   Replaces need for Tackle box—no need to hand-carry a tackle box     -   Avoids spillage of contents from an un-fastened tackle box lid

The preferred embodiment of the special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures is comprised of a vest with features and for wearing by a fisherman; a plurality of pockets that have features such as at least one see-though side; and a means to removably secure the pockets to the vest whereby the fisherman may select the desired pockets and attach them to the vest for easy access to fishing tackle and lures.

There is shown in FIGS. 1-5 a complete description and operative embodiment of a Special Fishing Vest 30 with See-through and Removable Pockets device. In the drawings and illustrations, one notes well that the FIGS. 1-4 demonstrate the general configuration and use of this product. The various example uses are stated in the operation and use section, below and described with FIGS. 4A through 4E. FIGS. 5A through 5E show some prior art.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of a special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures that is preferred. The drawings together with the summary description given above and a detailed description given below serve to explain the principles of the special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. It is understood, however, that the special fishing vest device 30 is not limited to only the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. Other examples of fishing and sporting vest devices and uses are still understood by one skilled in the art of sporting vest devices to be within the scope and spirit shown here.

FIGS. 1A through 1D are sketches of the general views of a special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets 31. FIG. 1A is a sketch of the fishing vest 30. FIG. 1B is a sketch of the prototype 40 of the fishing vest 30. FIG. 1C is a prototype 45 of the alternative embodiment fishing belt. FIG. 1D are prototypes of the Tackle 60—Worms, lures, spinners, and the like. These Figures are described in more detail, below.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are sketches of the prototype Fishing Vest 40 and prototype fishing waist belt 45 with see-through and removable pockets 31 with the components and features noted. FIG. 2A shows the prototype vest 40 with the see-through removable prototype pocket 41. The means to attach 42 (Velcro™, snaps, zippers or the like) the pockets to the vest are described in FIG. 4, below. In FIG. 2B the prototype fishing waist belt 45 with see-through and removable pockets 42 and the see through pockets 41. Here the front clear surface 37 of the pocket 41 is readily viewed.

FIGS. 3A through 3C are close-up sketches of a prototype sample 40 with the components and features shown from generally a front view. In FIG. 3A the vest surface 48 is visible. In the prototype this portion of the vest is a mesh fabric. The vest may be made/fabricated of various man-made fabrics (nylon, rayon, polyester, rubber-faced canvas, and the like) or natural fabrics (cotton, canvas, denim, hemp, etc.). The means to attach 42 (Velcro, snaps, zippers or the like) the see-through removable pockets 41 are in position and secured to the vest 48 by sewing, adhesive, or some other securement means. In both FIGS. 3B and 3C the see-through removable pockets 41 are shown with a clean front surface 47 and a pocket containment band 46 all removably secured to the vest 48. One notes the tackle 60 (worms, lures, spinners and the like) inside the removable pocket and the opening 49 showing how to get the tackle 60 in and out of the pocket 41. One also versed in the art of vests and pockets appreciates the clear surface 47 may be made of various pliable and resilient, transparent vinyls or plastics readily available in the fabric industry. Also the surface 47 may be attached to the bands 46 by various securement means such as sewing, adhesive, heat welding etc.

FIGS. 4A through 4E are sketches of a special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets 31 and features shown from generally a front section. FIG. 4A is a sketch of the fishing vest 30 as a vest-only 30A and no pockets 31. The vest surface 38 and the means 32 for securing the pocket 31 to the vest 30A are denoted. FIG. 4B shows the various pockets 31 with the transparent surface 37, the edge bands 36, and the fishing tackle 60 held within the pockets 31. The materials are described above in FIG. 3. In FIG. 4C the full special fishing vest 30 is shown with the tackle 60 inside the pockets 31 which are each removably attached to the vest 30A by the means for securing 32. The tackle is seen through the see-through surfaces 37. FIG. 4D Means 50 for fastening pockets 31 to the vest 38. Means like Velcro™ 51 or the like—a plethora of hook and loop devices is one means that is shown. Snaps 52 or the like—Fasteners, buckles, snap-hooks, adjuster bars, slides, and modular buckles having alternative components adaptable to different sizes and configurations are demonstrated. And also Zippers 53 or the like may be utilized.

FIG. 4E is a drawing of the components for a pocket 31. Here the pocket 31 is comprised of the Clear front surface 37, the edge bands 36, the opening or aperture 39 where the Tackle 60—Worms, lures, spinners, and the like are contained, the backside or vest side 31A of the pocket, and the means 32A, 32 for fastening pockets 31 to the vest 38.

FIGS. 5A through 5E are sketches of prior art vest devices for use with fishing and other uses. Here are shown:

70 Prior Art Vest 2006/0143774 Opaque/non-see-through Pockets 71 Prior Art Vest 5465425 Pullover Pockets 72 Prior Art Vest Des 426937 Net School Vest 73 Prior Art Vest 5913409 Sportsman's vest with a Closed Zipper Pocket 74 Prior Art Vest 2678447 Creel Carrier

The details mentioned here are exemplary and not limiting. Other specific components and manners specific to describing a special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures may be added as a person having ordinary skill in the field of sporting vest devices and their uses well appreciates.

Operation of the Preferred Embodiment

The special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures has been described in the above embodiment. The manner of how the device operates is described below. One notes well that the description above and the operation described here must be taken together to fully illustrate the concept of the special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. The preferred embodiment of the special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures is comprised of a vest with features and for wearing by a fisherman; a plurality of pockets that have features such as at least one see-though side; and a means to removably secure the pockets to the vest whereby the fisherman may select the desired pockets and attach them to the vest for easy access to fishing tackle and lures.

The Special Fishing Vest with See-through and Removable Pockets 30 operates by pre-packing tackle 60 into the separate pockets 31. Next the pockets 31 are removably secured to the vest 30A by the means 32, 32A for securing. As the tackle 60 is depleted or as the type of fishing changes, the pockets 31 are re-packed with tackle 60 and replaced on the vest 38. A similar swap-out procedure is used with the alternative embodiment fishing waist belt 45 with see-through removable pockets 65 for tackle 60 and the like.

Many uses are anticipated for the special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures. Some examples, and not limitations, are shown in the following Table.

ITEM DESCRIPTION 1 Fishing vest 2 Emergency response/first aid materials carrying vest 3 Camping vest 4 Hunters vest for ammunition 5 Photographer's vest 6 Light duty maintenance repair vest 7 Construction vest 8 Military and Homeland security vest

FIGS. 4A through 4E are sketches of a special fishing vest with see-through and removable pockets and features shown from generally a front section. In FIG. 4E, described above, the placement of an individual pocket 31 is removably attached to the vest 38 by securing the means for attaching 32A on the pocket 31 directly to the means for attaching 32 on the vest. This is true for all means 50 for attaching as shown in FIG. 4D.

With this description it is to be understood that the special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures is not to be limited to only the disclosed embodiment of product. The features of the special fishing vest 30 with see-through and removable pockets for containing fishing tackle and lures are intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the description.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which these inventions belong. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present inventions, the preferred methods and materials are now described above in the foregoing paragraphs.

Other embodiments of the invention are possible. Although the description above contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the inventions. It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed inventions. Thus, it is intended that the scope of at least some of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.

The terms recited in the claims should be given their ordinary and customary meaning as determined by reference to relevant entries (e.g., definition of “plane” as a carpenter's tool would not be relevant to the use of the term “plane” when used to refer to an airplane, etc.) in dictionaries (e.g., widely used general reference dictionaries and/or relevant technical dictionaries), commonly understood meanings by those in the art, etc., with the understanding that the broadest meaning imparted by any one or combination of these sources should be given to the claim terms (e.g., two or more relevant dictionary entries should be combined to provide the broadest meaning of the combination of entries, etc.) subject only to the following exceptions: (a) if a term is used herein in a manner more expansive than its ordinary and customary meaning, the term should be given its ordinary and customary meaning plus the additional expansive meaning, or (b) if a term has been explicitly defined to have a different meaning by reciting the term followed by the phrase “as used herein shall mean” or similar language (e.g., “herein this term means,” “as defined herein,” “for the purposes of this disclosure [the term] shall mean,” etc.). References to specific examples, use of “i.e.,” use of the word “invention,” etc., are not meant to invoke exception (b) or otherwise restrict the scope of the recited claim terms. Other than situations where exception (b) applies, nothing contained herein should be considered a disclaimer or disavowal of claim scope. Accordingly, the subject matter recited in the claims is not coextensive with and should not be interpreted to be coextensive with any particular embodiment, feature, or combination of features shown herein. This is true even if only a single embodiment of the particular feature or combination of features is illustrated and described herein. Thus, the appended claims should be read to be given their broadest interpretation in view of the prior art and the ordinary meaning of the claim terms.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers or expressions, such as those expressing dimensions, physical characteristics, etc. used in the specification (other than the claims) are understood as modified in all instances by the term “approximately.” At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter recited in the specification or claims which is modified by the term “approximately” should at least be construed in light of the number of recited significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A special fishing vest for containing fishing tackle and lures is comprised: (a) a vest fabricated from durable material with features and for wearing by a fisherman; (b) a plurality of pockets that have features such as at least one clear, see-though side; and (c) a means to removably secure the pockets to the vest whereby the fisherman may select the desired pockets and attach them to the vest for easy access to fishing tackle and lures.
 2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the durable material is from the group consisting of man-made fabrics nylon, rayon, polyester, rubber-faced canvas, and natural fabrics cotton, canvas, denim, and hemp.
 3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the means to removably secure the pockets is a hook and loop system similar to a Velcro™ system.
 4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the means to removably secure the pockets is plurality of snaps.
 5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the means to removably secure the pockets is a plurality of zippers.
 6. The device according to claim 1 wherein a use is from the group consisting of a fishing vest, an emergency response/first aid materials carrying vest, a camping vest, a hunter's vest for carrying ammunition, a photographer's vest for camera supplies, a light duty maintenance repair vest, a construction vest, a military vest, and a homeland security vest.
 7. The device according to claim 1 wherein the pockets are pre-filled pockets with fishing tackle.
 8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the clear, see-though side is may be made of a pliable and resilient, transparent vinyls.
 9. The device according to claim 1 wherein the clear, see-though side is may be made of a pliable and resilient, transparent plastic.
 10. A special fishing belt for containing fishing tackle and lures is comprised: (a) a belt with features and for wearing by a fisherman; (b) a plurality of pockets that have features such as at least one see-though side; and (c) a means to removably secure the pockets to the belt whereby the fisherman may select the desired pockets and attach them to the belt for easy access to fishing tackle and lures. 